One size definitely does not fit all in catalogue design. You need to think very carefully about who your target audience is, what is likely to inspire them to buy from you, and dovetail these considerations with what you are trying to sell.
There are a number of factors when the target audience is considered, and it’s important to know as much about them as possible so that your sales messages appeal to them more directly. In other words, it’s about understanding your customer, their wants and their needs, their buying habits, why they would buy and why they wouldn’t, and what do they stand to gain?
Important factors
What are some of these factors? There are obvious ones like age, gender and disposable income – all of which clearly have an enormous impact on buying decisions – but there are many others too: where people live in the UK; what sort of property they live in; whether they are married; whether they have children; what are their hobbies, likes and dislikes; what have they bought before, and why; do they have any personal values that might affect their buying decisions … the list is a lengthy one, and of course you’re never going to know all of the answers. The more you do know, however, the more impactful your catalogue will be, and the more likely it is that your customer will buy from you.
Showcased products
Then there are the products themselves. You need to consider how best to showcase them, and naturally this will differ between different types of product. Contrast the type of images and content, for example, you would ideally see in a catalogue selling expensive cars or bikes with a catalogue selling inexpensive kitchen products.
First impressions
And it’s not just about the copy, the photographs and the diagrams, factors like the nature of the sales messages, the calls to action, even the fonts and the colours can all make a difference. Remember that you must grab and then hold their attention, just long enough for them to find something to buy.
To help you create your own catalogue, we’ve produced a handy FREE catalogue design guide with details on the steps you need to take to create your own perfect catalogue.